In the world of "Covering the Sky," one can refine Gu (a type of poison) to become an immo

Chapter 137 Yuan Lian is not an Immortal Venerable, but a Demon Venerable! (4k)

The old Taoist priest put down his hoe, went into the temple, and brought out a wooden pot, bamboo cups, and a jar of aged wine. He greeted Sha Xiao with a cheerful smile.

Don't laugh at the farmer's homemade wine, for in a bountiful year, he'll have plenty of chicken and pork to entertain guests...

In a daze, this line of poetry popped into Sha Xiao's mind.

"Oops, here it comes."

He took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeves, and strode forward to help the old Taoist priest move out the table and chairs. Gazing at the fiery glow in the sky, they sat facing each other.

Sha Xiao held the wine cups in both hands and poured a glass for each of them.

He waved his hand and took out a piece of dried meat that looked about the size of an ordinary piece of pork from the sea of ​​bitterness, and cut the dried meat into pieces little by little.

In an instant, a rich yet not overpowering aroma swept through the entire small Taoist temple.

"Senior, I arrived suddenly. This certainly can't compare to the delicacies you made back then."

"But I also have some experience in preparing food, so I'm sure it will have a unique flavor."

Sha Xiao placed two pairs of chopsticks, each made from a piece of ancient stalactite, in the center, and put the dried meat in the middle as a snack for the two of them to enjoy with their drinks.

"Really? Let me try it."

The old Taoist priest was very frank and not ashamed at all. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of meat as thin as a cicada's wing, and put it in his mouth, the meat tinged red by the fiery sunset.

"The old Taoist chewed the piece of meat in his mouth, slowly opened his cloudy eyes, and looked at Sha Xiao in surprise."

"good!"

After swallowing the slice of meat, the old Taoist picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and closed his eyes to savor it.

After a long while, he opened his eyes again and solemnly commented, "Really good."

"Although it's just a small forest dragon, under your handling, its dragon aura and dragon intent have been completely condensed, making it even more dragon-like than that old Teng Snake."

"By abandoning the intensification of the Dao principles, the feeling of dragons and snakes intertwining is highlighted. One bite is like a dragon and a snake, making people linger."

"Especially your ingenious idea of ​​using a ten-thousand-year-old stalactite heart to make the sun shine through it, which cleverly brings out the transformative meaning of the dragon's blood essence to the fullest extent, leaving a lingering aftertaste."

"Although it may not be as abundant in Dao principles and brimming with vitality as those born with extraordinary talent, it is still a great enjoyment."

"Good stuff, really good stuff! This old man hasn't tasted anything this good in a thousand or two thousand years, hahaha..."

""

Sha Xiao smiled as she listened to the old Taoist priest's unreserved praise.

Because he personally researched and developed this thing.

The raw material is a highly slippery and powerful unicorn dragon king.

At that time, the dragon king intended to ambush Xiaoqing, who was spreading Gu magic in the mountains with Sha Xiao. Although it failed, it still gave Xiaoqing a big fright.

Sha Xiao and Xiao Qing chased it for seven days and seven nights before finally killing it.

When cooking, he did not adopt the most common and wasteful method in the world of "Covering the Sky"—directly stimulating the opponent's Dao principles and igniting their essence—in the grilling process.

For Xiaoqing at the time, eating such things would only upset her stomach.

After all, this isn't like an elixir of immortality or a divine medicine, where if it can't be absorbed, it can sink into the body and become part of one's foundation.

Once a living being is ignited in this way, if it is not digested in a short period of time, all its essence will be returned to heaven and earth.

So, after pondering for a while, Sha Xiao, relying on his previous research on Pang Bo's nourishing immortal gu, developed a number of mortal gu for the food path.

For example, there are first-turn big-eater Gu, third-turn gluttonous Gu, fourth-turn fat-picking Gu, fourth-turn lean-picking Gu, and so on, and finally the fifth-turn nourishing Gu was replicated.

Then, by utilizing the principle of mutual assistance between ruler and minister, and combining it with a lot of dragon marrow, they developed the Five-Turn Esophageal Killing Move: One Eats Dragon Meat.

This deadly move completely depleted the vital energy of the Thousand-Foot Forest Dragon King, which was a full thousand feet in size.

All of its dragon energy and blood were extracted and transferred to a piece of tenderloin that was only a little over two meters wide. Then, the true meaning of the Dao of Transformation was used to stimulate the transformative power within the dragon blood.

This is how this dish was created. Although it lacks essence and Dao principles, it possesses both dragon and snake flavors. One bite is like eating the meat of a small snake transforming into a dragon.

After tasting it, Xiaoqing took it a step further, which led to her wanting to go out.

As Sha Xiao savored the dragon meat, he couldn't help but think of the moment when he and Xiao Qing crossed mountains and valleys, and his anxiety surged.

After a hearty meal, the old Taoist priest held his cup, gazing at the setting sun reflected in it, and said calmly, "Hehe, young man, even this old deaf man can clearly hear the turmoil in your heart. Just say what you have to say."

After pondering for a long time, Sha Xiao looked at the old Taoist priest and asked, "Senior, do you still wish to live?"

The old Taoist priest's eyelids remained unmoved, and he chuckled faintly: "Live on? If you had asked me two hundred years ago, I would have told you that I had not yet witnessed the imperial path, nor had I seen the arrival of the golden age. Even ants cling to life, and so do I."

"You and that little snake, I've already refined them into a large elixir."

"Haha, you're joking."

Sha Xiao smiled without any fear. Words can deceive, but the truth will not.

How could someone who chooses to return to the place where their cultivation began, living a quiet and uneventful life, possibly be someone who refines people into pills?

He could see clearly that the old Taoist's physical divine power and longevity essence were almost exhausted. The most serious problem was that his thoughts in his heart had already run dry.

Vegetables can survive without a heart, but people will die quickly without one.

The old Taoist priest downed the sunset in his cup in one gulp, then sighed deeply and said, "But now, I have exhausted everything, witnessed the grandeur of the imperial path, and understood my own mediocrity. What reason do I have left to live?"

"Heh, that guy Laozi is extremely arrogant, but there's a saying that goes, 'An old man who doesn't die is a thief.'"

"At that time, I had just broken through to the Great Sage level, and I was full of vigor and didn't take it seriously. It wasn't until hundreds of years ago that I finally realized that he had already seen through my limits."

"I thought about it and decided against it. Life has an end, so let it go when it's time."

Sha Xiao smiled indifferently, "That's not up to you."

The Dark Turmoil is just two hundred years away, and I can't bear to see someone as capable as you give up your life like this.

He looked at the withered grapevines planted by the old Taoist priest and said, "The universe is but a blade of grass, flourishing and decaying in its own time..."

'

As Sha Xiao slowly recounted his understanding of the Dao of Immortal Yuanlian, the Daoist essence hidden within this ordinary little mountain was stirred by him.

The withered grapevines became plump, the yellowed leaves began to fall off, and the juicy grapes began to grow regardless of the seasonal differences.

The old Taoist's expression changed; he was no longer the old man who was on his last legs and could only reminisce about the past.

As he listened to Sha Xiao's explanation of nature and the way of wood, his expression shifted from serious to smiling, and sometimes he shook his head.

He frowned, and thunder roared in the sky, and countless locusts swarmed out of the soil.

With a smile, rays of light emanate from the heavens and earth, wiping out insects and crushing them into fertilizer. Even withered trees buried underground for countless years sprout from the soil, gaining new life.

As he shook his head, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and hail began to fall with a clatter.

As she spoke, Sha Xiao began to extend her discourse beyond the simple wooden path, moving towards the most fundamental aspects of life.

At this time, the dark clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, burying the setting sun ahead of time.

A howling wind suddenly arose, and in an instant, more than a hundred silver rays appeared in the sky and on the ground.

The endless rain poured down, and the mountains reflected in the water became instantly illuminated.

Heaven and earth were enraged, as if what Sha Xiao was about to say had offended heaven and earth and needed to be destroyed.

Sha Xiao glanced at the escalating lightning, but still insisted on continuing, "A withered tree is not dead; it transforms and is reborn. Under the layers of lightning tribulations, there is a glimmer of hope..."

""

As he continued his sermon, the content began to evolve from simply focusing on the Way of Wood to encompassing the Way of Thunder, and from the Way of Thunder to the Way of Life.

Finally, the story transitions from life to death, recounting how one accumulates strength amidst neither flourishing nor withering, slowly transforming, and finding a glimmer of hope.

"boom!"

Another burst of thunder, hundreds and thousands of golden snakes danced in the air, and the distant mountain peaks were clearly visible.

The rain poured down like a waterfall, and the world was filled with water. The lightning intensified, with thousands of bolts of lightning hovering high in the sky, ready to strike at any moment.

"boom!"

Endless lightning bolts fell, turning the world into a vast expanse of white. Various lightning tribulations unfolded, with earth, fire, wind, and water tribulations descending upon the world, along with countless chaotic heavenly lightning bolts.

At the very top, an ancient celestial palace appeared, with humanoid lightning bolts appearing and intertwining, slashing wildly across the sky.

Just as the lightning bolts struck down towards Sha Xiao, a mysterious wave emanated from the old Taoist priest.

He merely glanced up at the heavenly tribulation, and the tribulation cloud changed direction, rushing towards him.

As soon as the old Taoist opened his mouth, he refined all the heavenly lightning tribulation into a golden pill and swallowed it into his stomach. His complexion even became a little rosier.

Countless lightning tribulations that would break bones and destroy the spirits of others were like a dessert to the old Taoist.

"Young fellow Daoist, you can stop now. If you continue, my little mountain won't be able to withstand it."

The old Taoist stroked his beard and looked at Sha Xiao.

Sha Xiao nodded and stopped, heeding the advice.

If this quasi-emperor hadn't been there, he wouldn't have revealed Immortal Venerable Yuanlian's research on resurrection.

He was essentially explaining the essence of the Heavenly Will Strike, and providing a winding, deserted path to avoid it.

This is something that this world does not allow for the time being. You can do it, but you cannot incorporate these things into the Great Dao.

"Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river. What you, young friend, have relayed sounds like the Dao of Cause and Effect studied by the Great Emperor Amitabha, and the Dao of Corpse Liberation Immortality spoken of by the Underworld Emperor."

"Although it is not perfect yet, it has finally paved a new path, and there is indeed a glimmer of hope."

The old Taoist looked at Sha Xiao with admiration, but his tone was no longer as certain as before.

Sha Xiao took a sip of wine to moisten her throat and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although at least half of the true meaning was lost through his oral explanation, the direction was ultimately pointed out.

As the most unassuming Immortal Venerable Yuanlian, his core and most familiar research has actually touched upon immortality, and he is advancing in multiple directions simultaneously.

The Way of Wood may seem like just the Way of Plants, but in the hands of Immortal Venerable Yuanlian, it has long been transformed into a tool for verifying, evolving, and encompassing all the Ways.

No matter how talented other immortals are, they will ultimately be constrained by their immortal energy and can only choose one or two directions to study.

Immortal Venerable Yuanlian has studied various forms of immortality, including immortal zombies, immortality within a fixed timeframe, immortality of collective memory, immortality through infinite life growth, and the ultimate, indestructible immortality.

There's no way around it; having plenty of immortal energy just makes one feel extravagant.

Moreover, according to the original theory of the three deities of the constellations, it should have been Honglian who became the immortal deity!

Yuanlian Immortal Venerable was someone who was forcibly pulled to the side by Xingxiu after Honglian turned to the Demon Lord.

But a Venerable is a Venerable. Once she entered the ranks of Venerables, Yuan Lian, instead of being affected by the struggle between the stars and the will of Heaven, broke free from the influence and found her true self.

Honglian is the immortal lord who most resembles the Demon Lord.

Yuan Lian is actually the demon lord who most resembles the immortal lord.

What Sha Xiao just described included Yuan Lian Immortal Venerable's research on the Immortal Zombie Technique.

Don't be fooled by the fact that it seems like the Giant Sun Immortal Venerable is the one who truly popularized the Dao of Zombies.

However, as the first person to become a Venerable after the Red Lotus Demon Lord damaged the Destiny Gu, Yuan Lian's research on Immortal Zombies was the true originator.

No matter how you preserve your true spirit like a seed, like a plant.

Whether it's protecting the body of the immortal zombie or making good use of the fact that the immortal zombie has no lifespan to travel the world, Yuan Lian Immortal Venerable is an expert in this field.

For these Gu Kings in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, having a direction allows them to quickly deduce the general outline.

Although the details differ, the most basic principles in the infinite world are ultimately the same.

Upon hearing Sha Xiao's account of the Great Dao, the old Taoist was certain that although some details were unclear, it was probably a viable path.

"Incredible..."

""

The old Taoist looked at Sha Xiao in surprise.

A mere mortal in the Sea of ​​Wheels, seemingly an ordinary being, actually pioneered a method of rebirth after death that differed from that of the Underworld Emperor and the Netherworld.

This path does not require forming the reincarnation seal, nor does it require worrying about losing consciousness.

It even avoided the most terrifying decay of the primordial spirit.

What utter nonsense about the decay of the primordial spirit? I don't need a primordial spirit at all. As long as there is a single thought left, I can reassemble everything about myself from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

In other words, as long as the body is prepared and enough longevity essence is accumulated, a person who practices this method can be reborn at any time as long as they can deceive heaven and earth.

Of course, this method also has its dangers in the world of Shrouding the Heavens, namely the large number of Immortal King imprints outside the world.

Ordinary cultivators find it difficult to deeply imprint everything about themselves onto the Great Dao.

Even the Dao of a Quasi-Emperor, if it doesn't reappear every 30,000 to 50,000 years, will be mercilessly crushed by the Immortal King's mark.

However, it's different if you've ever held the Heavenly Heart Seal.

The fact that those Dark Sovereigns can reclaim their former Dao Fruits at any time proves one thing: unless this world is destroyed, the imprint in the Heavenly Heart Mark will never be erased.

If those supreme beings in the Dark Ages and Turmoil were to see this method, they would undoubtedly switch to cultivating it regardless of everything.

"Senior, the Dark Turmoil is coming. Although I have this method, if I don't try it, no one will know whether it will work."

"If you are willing, please give it a try for the sake of the common people. I beg you."

Sha Xiao stood up and bowed deeply to the old Taoist priest.